From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Jericho Vermont

First year trying these in a cold and very wet climate this year. My plant is about 15 feet long and I don't see a female yet???? Is my rain washing something out of my soil? Should I fertilize with something different? I bet I have seen over 24 males so far.

7/9/2013 6:35:15 PM

Muddy Waters

Phosphorous & potash if leafs are not real green Nitrogen also

7/9/2013 6:57:09 PM

Bowdon, GA

Same here John, Agree with Mark but hasn't seemed to help this year. One of my plants was almost 400 sqft before the first female showed up. The rain has also made pollen sparce.

7/9/2013 11:28:08 PM

Bethlehem CT

John I had really huge plants before the females showed up this year. They will come.

7/10/2013 6:36:15 AM

sevierville, Tn

Is that all the vines with no females ? If so, then Mark may be right & you need some Phosphorous & potash. Of cource it could be the cold & rain too !

7/10/2013 6:41:53 AM

Northern Cambria, Pa.

Same thing here. Hundreds of males on huge plants but only 4 or 5 females so far and none have set. Maybe some sun would help.

7/10/2013 8:20:47 AM

Garner, NC

Same here, lack of females on most all plants. The 255 Mitchell only had 1 females to take. However I am predicting it to be a new world record!! That is, if there is a world record for the longest, skinnyish melon. This melon looks like a meat stick! But at least there is a melon.

7/10/2013 9:55:51 AM

sevierville, Tn

At least i answered one on the big questions from previous years....What causes pear shape melons. answer=the heat ! I probally set 25 females this year & only one was pear shape & it was set on a day we hit 89. All others wer low to mid 80's !

7/10/2013 1:11:00 PM

Jericho Vermont

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I am feeding mostly a balanced npk currently but am thinking it is all getting leached from the excessive rain. Melon is holding up better than my pumpkins but is also in better draining soil.

7/10/2013 3:05:22 PM

Manchester, TN

I pollinated 4 plants yesterday, finally!! Then the storms blew another 1.5" of rain last night, I hope they hold on, because my females are few and far between also.

7/11/2013 7:20:55 AM